


Stories of the Second Self: Back from the Woods

by John_Steiner



Series: Alter Idem [185]
Category: The Howling (1981), Urban Fantasy - Fandom
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:07:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25795603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/John_Steiner/pseuds/John_Steiner
Summary: Jeanine's Grandma told her that her Mom had gone into the woods as a girl and came back different. Keeping odd hours, and often not home at all, Jeanine's Mom nonetheless did care enough to go to any length to help her and Grandma. One night Jeanine saw how strong that love was.
Series: Alter Idem [185]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1618813





	Stories of the Second Self: Back from the Woods

It was just a silly story Grandma once told me. When Mom was a little girl went off into the forest one night and didn't come back. I'm here, so I was sure that Mom did come back, though Grandma told me it took a search party to find her. That we lived in the northern pat of Cottage Grove, Oregon meant that 'lost in the forest' is a big deal.

Grandma would say, "Jeanine, I know you love your mamma, but that night when they got her home I could see there was something else under her skin. She ain't been right ever since."

Maybe there was something to it, because I knew Mom was different from other kids' moms. She took care of me, best that she knew how. Yet, Grandma was the one around all the time, while Mom would come come home early in the morning two or three days a week. I never knew where she went, only that she occasionally brought money to help Grandma with the bills.

When I was a littler girl I'd sleep in Mom's bed when she wasn't home, because I'd hoped to know the instant she came back. One night she did and crawled in with me, but I didn't wake until the next morning. She kissed me on the cheek and went into the kitchen.

Mornings Mom was home meant lots of bacon. Now that I'm thirteen, things were getting weirder, I mean weird enough that even I felt they weren't normal. Mom would come in every morning, and those were the mornings I'd wake up with sores or cuts. Grandma would put bandaids on and tell me not to fuss with them.

It was funny. Every time I got a bandaid I'd see that Grandma had one too. Never knew what that meant. However when school started kids treated me differently. I'd hear them whispering when looking over at me.

Once, when asking to leave class to use the girl's room, I heard two boys down another hall talking about my mother.

"I saw Jeanine's mom riding motorcycles with some dudes," Kyle said, "Bet she's a whore."

"Ya'think she does it for meth?" Darrel asked.

"Could be," Kyle replied, "That's why Jeanine's house looks like shit."

I felt angry and sick at the same time, and I just wanted to march around that corner and punch Kyle in the mouth. Maybe kick him in the nards for good measure. Though, I didn't because I was curious what else they'd say.

"No way they're screwing Jeanine's mom," Darrel said, "Not with crazy hair and that intense stare of hers."

"That's the 'Come Get Me' look," Kyle cracked, "Says to guys she's open for business. Know what I mean?"

"I dunno," Darrel continued with his doubts, "My aunt says all the guys talk trash about her 'cause they can't get her in bed."

"You aunt don't know shit," Kyle scoffed, "All that drinkin' she does."

"Hey, screw you!" Then Darrel walked away.

I had to jump back and turn around like I was going to open a locker so that Darrel wouldn't see my face. Funny, because my lockers is practically on the other side of the school.

The school claims they don't show favoritism when assigning lockers, but all the unpopular kids got lockers where mine is, and the popular kids were assigned lockers closest to most of their class and nearest the lunchroom.

"Hey Jeanine," Kyle said at my back, "You like spyin' on me?"

"Sorry, what?" I hastily answered turning around as if surprised. "I wasn't paying attention."

"I said your mom's a whore," Kyle sneered, "I bet she services all the bikers and truckers who ride through."

It wasn't the first time I got angry, but the intensity was something else. I couldn't let him get away with that, which is odd for me, because I'd always heard rumors about Mom.

My fist connected with the side of Kyle's jaw and he just dropped holding his face. "Your whole family's crazy! I'm gonna tell everyone your mom's got AIDS and the Rona! Guys'll beat her ass and cut her up for spreadin' it! You watch, you little whore! All of you are gonna get it!"

I was sure Kyle wouldn't tell anyone, because he'd have to say he got knocked down by a girl in one punch. He quickly looked around to check if anyone saw. Hardly anyone was in the hall. Kyle got up and stormed off.

A week later, when my mom came home late at night instead of the morning, I found out different. Hardly a couple minutes followed her coming through the door when I heard several men outside in front talking loudly. I was sure they were angry despite their laughter-- maybe because of the way they laughed.

"Hey, bitch, you in there?" one shouted, "You too good for us? Quarantine's over, so come out here and show us a good time!"

I just stood in the middle of the living room, unsure what to do. Grandma set her book aside and took me in her arms to sit on her lap. She hadn't done that since I was in the second grade, but I was grateful for the comfort.

Grandma stroked my hair and reassured me, "It's okay Jeanine. Your mamma will keep you safe, don't you worry none."

The aggressive knock at the door caused me to yelp with a jolt.

"You best not come in here," Grandma shouted, "If you know what's good fir'ya!"

"Ooh!" the man's voice dripped with sarcasm. "Here that? Best not if we know what's good for us. Where's your whore daughter?"

Mom had gone upstairs, though all was quiet above. Maybe she climbed out a window, or something, I didn't know. More knocking, only this time it was a pounding. More than one fish hammered at the door, and then I heard the wood crack.

"On three," one of the men said, "One-- two-- three!"

The door blew open revealing briefly the heavy tree branch they used to break in. Three of them strode in haughty as can be.

Grandma rose up while simultaneously pushing me into the chair, so that she could shield me. She stood right up to the first guy.

"I ain't tellin'ya again...," Grandma managed to say.

I don't know where the gun came from, but the man held it by the barrel for the pistol-whipping.

"Grandma!" I jumped off the chair to crouch over where Grandma lay.

I could see blood running from somewhere within her silvery hair.

A sudden pair of beefy arms hefted me off the ground, and the man who snatched me called out, "Got your girl here! If you don't want her hurt you'd better come out!"

I had thought Mom might've climbed out a window upstairs, but only now did I hear something like that, and screamed shrilly, "Mom!"

A faint thud sounded outside, and the guy wrestling with me shouted to another. "Bitch is gonna run. Go get her!"

I got a glimpse of the door that was still open when the second man headed out. Something grabbed him and ripped him through the door. I heard growling and tears along with his shrieking.

"Thought they didn't have dogs," the third man said.

Without warning, I was thrown to the floor. I hadn't gotten up in time when I heard the gun go off, and then it fired three more times close together. Yelping made me look over. At first, I thought it was a massive husky, but the canine thing stood upright.

Its paw grabbed the man's hand he's shot the gun with, and I heard multiple snaps when he was yanked and thrown about by the hold. He cried out, and another shot fired by accident. I'd heard the bullet chuck into the wood of the table near me.

The guy who got pulled outside came in all bloody, but with the heavy branch in his hands. He brought it down on the upright wolf's head and it collapsed. The third guy ran outside, but he came back in a moment with rope.

The one who had the gun huddled against the wall cradling what was left of his head. "Goddammit! What kind of dog is that?"

"Yeah, tie that shit, in case it gets up again," the man who was bitten said, "And then tie the girl up. Then we'll check the house."

Maybe because I was scared, or mad about Grandma, but I felt burning all over. I was sick to my stomach again, too, when they grappled with me to rope my arms behind my back, and then bound them to my legs.

Laying on my side, I couldn't straighten my legs without feeling my arms pulled. I started crying, but one of the men ignored that when going upstairs. The one guy was bitten ripped his shirt off to look at the wounds on his shoulder with dread. "Oh fuck! Fuckin' gonna get rabies over this!"

My muscles started aching bad. It was like they were being pulled and twisted at the same time. "Oww!"

"Fuckin' serves you right," the bit man griped, "Serves your mom right, for running out on you!"

With each crack, pain shot through my bones. "It hurts!"

"Fuckin' A it hurts," the guy shouted about his own injuries. "Now shut your brat mouth!"

"She ain't up here, Walt," the other guy upstairs said.

"Did you check the closets and shit?" the bit man shouted back.

"Yeah," came back, "she's nowhere up here."

"Someone taught that dog to attack like that," the bit man named Walt hollered, "Good thing I cracked its skull."

"I'm feelin' cold here," said the guy who had the gun.

My skin felt tight in places, and the sound of binding leather came from underneath. Next, sprang a full body tingle, and I felt hair sprouting from everywhere. Blood rushed through my ears, but something else was different about them. I could feel them moving, and then the stretching of my face started.

Things got blurry after that, but I remember the ropes pulling off my hands. A pain from my tail bone had me thrashing until I tore off whatever was hurting. I kept feeling these hard protrusions where my finger and toe nails were supposed to be.

"Holy shit!" it was Walt, though I was in too much pain to see what he was looking at. "It's her! She's that thing that got me!"

When the burning started to die down, I could see that Walt was standing over Mom who was stark naked and writhing on the floor. The fur that covered her retreated into her skin, while her proportions returned to normal.

"Dan, get down here and check this out," Walt cried up, and winced at aggravating his shoulder. "It's her! She's a werewolf!"

"No time for goddamn jokes, Walt!" Dan's voice was harsh and carried irritation, but no sense of concern.

I could at last collect myself, and that's when I realized I had turned. Looking over my hands I saw paws, but not like a dog or a wolf. My clothes were half torn off, but fur covered me all over.

"Oh shit!" Walt shouted while looking right at me.

They hurt Grandma and Mom. So enraged, I didn't think twice when I leapt at Walt. I made sure to bite a better place, like his fucking throat. He tried pulling me off, but I just clawed at his arms while trying to stay on him. Then, he managed to rip me off, but a spray of blood hit me in the face.

Walt crawled on his back and grabbed at the side of his neck, where blood spurted freely between his fingers. I lunged again, but only got a forearm that he shielded himself with. Bones cracked between my molars, and his shrieks flooded my sensitive ears.

I yanked, tugged, and tossed with my head, but I didn't have the weight to throw him around like Mom did with the man who shot her. I lashed at Walt's face, but my claws only caught into skin and didn't slice through like knives.

Going with that, I squeezed flesh in my grip and felt skin tear loose. In kicks, the claws on my toes stabbed into Walt's ample stomach, making his screams go up in pitch. In a blind rage, I thrashed until his struggles grew weak. However, I kept hearing screaming.

Remembering the guy who shot Mom, I turned on him while hearing Dan's hurried steps coming downstairs. The first thing I did was finish Mom's work in tearing off the guy's hand, and then I went for his face with snapping bites.

The gun went off again. I didn't care anymore. They had to pay for Mom and Grandma. A huge wad of muscle from his neck hung from my jaws, when I turned to see what Dan was going.

Except, Dan was lying face down in the middle of the living room. Then, I noticed Grandma sitting upright on the floor holding herself up with one arm over the side of her chair, and the other shakily pointing the gun at where Dan lay. The acrid smell of gunshots seemed to bite at the inside of my elongated nose.

Blood kept running from Grandma's head, and she lost consciousness. Dropping the wad of muscle from my mouth, I ran over to her trying to call out. The only sound my voice would make was whining and yelps. This time, when I felt arms around me from behind they were gentle and comforting.

"Lemme look, Jeanine," Mom said softly to me.

I moved aside, still not quite used to my different body. I just sat there awkwardly on the side of my haunches worrying over Grandma. She never did wake.

Mom carried me off to my room, despite having been shot twice, and locked me in, before I heard her call the police. I don't know what she told the cops when I heard them arrive, but she didn't come back up to get me that night. When the cops left so did ambulances, and I was left alone in the house.

For days, I just lay in my bed, still as a wolf-like shape. Didn't eat, didn't drink anything, just waited. I lost track of time, but it was morning when I felt Mom's kiss on my cheek. It felt different with fur still cover it it, but Mom beamed as much love at me in her expression as I'd ever seen.

When she told me Grandma didn't make it I whimpered in her lap, and she stroked my head telling me she'd miss Grandma too.

"I wanted Grandma to have this gift just like you," Mom explained, "but I don't know why it didn't work for her. She saved us, Jeanine. She wanted us to live, even if she couldn't come back."

Who knows when it was Mom actually became a werewolf, but in her heart I'm sure it was when Grandma said. Now it's under my skin too. Every time I shift Grandma's face appears in my mind. It makes me think Grandma chose to turn into something else that can't be hurt or stopped.


End file.
